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Mathew glowered. “I want tomatoes. Dianna gets them, so I want them.”
Dianna mouthed the word “sorry” to Tristan, relieved when he waved her off with a dismissive hand.
“I’ll cut some for you, but how about you put them on the side and try it one bite at a time.”
Before Mathew could argue, Dianna interjected. “That’s how I want mine tonight.”
“Me, too,” Mathew agreed.
Tristan’s gray, unwavering gaze met Dianna’s once more and that strange current flowed between them. He was probably just glad that she was being a buffer.
He wasn’t looking at her like that because he liked her. And the fact that her thoughts had already gone to that extreme meant she was spending too much time here. Getting involved with a client was a bad idea.
Averybad idea.
8
Tristan
Tristan could tell Dianna was uncomfortable. He should have provided an out for her to leave, but instead, he’d fed his own selfish desires. When Erika left, there hadn’t been one day where he felt like he wasn’t drowning. Having Dianna around gave him the first opportunity to get a gulp of fresh air. He felt like he could breathe again.
Andthatwas nice. More than nice.
She wasn’t even here for him, she was here for Mathew. The thing was, Mathew was becoming more at ease, with less meltdowns. Tristan figured things were becoming easier, simply because Mathew was allowed to just be himself, without the pressures of school and therapists trying to mold him into something he’s not.
Plus with Dianna around, Tristan could finally take a step back and let someone else take the reins for a little while.
It was selfish.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he couldn’t continue asking so much of her. She was someone who was assigned to Mathew. It wasn’t like she was doing any of this out of the goodness of her own heart. She was being paid by Shane.
He let out a sigh as he put Mathew’s dishes in the sink. True to form, Mathew had refused to try the tomatoes, but that didn’t stop him from requesting that he get a scoop on his plate just like Dianna. He insisted on sitting next to her, which forced Tristan to sit across from her at the small kitchen table.
Throughout the whole meal, she hadn’t met his gaze. Though at this point he wasn’t sure what he would do if she caught him staring. He still couldn’t get over how quickly she was able to win Mathew over.
“Thank you for dinner.” Her soft voice yanked him from his thoughts and he nearly dropped the glass he was rinsing out. She offered him her plate and another glass. “Do you have a container where I can save the extra tomatoes?” The corners of her mouth lifted into a grin. “Or would you like me to toss them?”
He chuckled, though it sounded strained even to him. This dance they were doing with each other was probably all in his head. He needed to knock it off. “I think it’s safe to say that Mathew probably won’t eat them later.”
She nodded, then left his side, returning with a few more of the dishes they had at the table. Without comment, she grabbed one of the dishes he’d placed in the side of the sink filled with water to rinse what he’d just cleaned.
“You don’t have to—”
Dianna gave him a pointed look. “I was raised in a home where everyone did their part. You had to when there were so many. I can dry the dishes. It’s not a big deal. Then I’ll slip out, and you can have the evening to yourself.”
You make good company.
The words were on the tip of his tongue. He could ask her to stay, get to know her better so he could prove to himself that he wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything toward her, especially not interest.
But he couldn’t get his heart to slow down. All he could think about was what if things were different and he’d met her by chance at a supermarket or somewhere else? Would they have made a connection? He already knew she was amazing with Mathew.
Stop it. She’s not interested in you like that.
He needed to leave the poor girl alone. If only his heart and mind could follow suit. He’d have no problem. But here he was. With his heart feeling like it was jumping rope in his chest.
Tristan nodded once and together they did the dishes.
A few times, he caught her stealing a glance at him. He shouldn’t feel elated by such a thing, but he was well beyond following the rules his head insisted. Tristan shifted and cleared his throat. “Did you take any lessons—drawing, I mean?”
